Cellulosic ester composition



5 present application is a continuation-in-part of wise inferior to the compounds of the present in- Patented Nov. 14, 1939 l 1 r i UNITED STATESTPAETENT CELLULOSIC I ESTER COMPO. SITION I Lucas P. Kyrides, Webster Groves, Mo., assignor to Monsanto Chemical Company, St. Louis, Mo, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application June 1, 1937, Serial No. 145,809

3 Claims. (Cl. 106-37) This invention relatesto cellulose ester plastics the present invention are the monocyclohexyl such as cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate and the derivatives of the aromatic sulfonamides and do like, which are to beused as films, threads, coat-, not contemplate the di substituted derivatives ing compositions,molding compositions, etc. The which are distinctly less compatible and othermy copending application Serial Number 125,319, vention. This is illustrated by the following filed May 12, 1934. table showing the results obtained with respect The present invention makes possible a new to compounds contemplated by my invention, as class of modifying agents for cellulose esters and contrasted to the disubstituted compounds oi 0 ethers which alone,*as well as in combination the prior art. For the purpose of this-compariwith known plasticizers, such as the phthalate son cellulose acetate was dissolved in acetone and esters, phosphate esters and the like, enable one the stated amount of the aromatic sulfonamide to obtain results and to develop properties in a. was added, the film of the resulting mixture were final product to an extent which has not been then formed in the usual manner, examined and possible heretofore. compared. 15

The object of the present invention is to provide a class of modifying agents which are com- Quantity patible with the cellulose ester and which therem Test material ercent Remarks fore fall within the broad classification of high 12.58.1011 2 boiling solvents or plasticizers in the sense that acetate this expression is used in the arts, but which 11 d N-cyclohexylparatoluene F'm-clear m0 eratey differs in that unlike such present day plasticizers sulmnamide (M. tough as dlbutyl phthalate, trlcresyl phosphate, etc., o.. they impart hardness and inordinate water regl gg gi g fi g ggf .FHm-clear, fairly mugh- 25 sistance to the ultimate product, as well as o. 25 smoothness'thereto, to a degree not obtainable iggg fgg g g ai, g g lear, moderately by the present day plasticizers. N icyclohgxyaabeligzene (s3u)1- 50 Filmyslightly foggy in one n onanli e .91 par I have found that tl-e cyclohexyl aromatic sul Nwclohewl 3,4 dichlom 25 Fflmflflear tough fonamldes sucn as N-cyclohexyl paratoluenesul- 1%e111Z%1geOSljl1fOI1amide(M.

p 1 3O p N'cyclohexyl Qmmmhlenesulfonamlde, N-eyclohexyl 3,4 dich1or0-- 50 Filmslightly foggy in one 3O mixtures of the aforedeslgnated ortho and para %el11Z1e01g9OSl)11f0118.Hllde(M. part. 31 3 slight imcompa l l y. m N cyclonexyl bedzene or Xylene sulfon N-N cyclohexyl amyl-para- 25 Film-foggy separation. amide impart the aforedeslgnated desirable eiiects tqklaene sulionamide (liq- I11 when incorporated in cellulose esters. In lieu of dicyclohexyl toluene I 10 Fjlmfsepamfim the unsubstituted cyclohexyl group one may emsulfonamide. 35

ploy the mono or di methyl substituted cyclohexyl group. The aforementioned amides are insoluble All of the test materials were prepared by the in water, soluble in lacquer solvents and thinners same gene al method, that is, by reacting the m n Vegetable 0118. y are not hydrolyzed corresponding aromatic sulfonohloride with cyclo- 40 by Wate and o ppreciable hydrolysis n hexylamine. In the case of the last two products 0 aqueous Caustic Soda When agitated therewith at the corresponding cyclohexylamine derivatives 80 C. for 20 minutesy have a good r were used. It is an interesting fact that the tivity in both cellulose acetate and cellulose nicyclohexyl romatic sulionamicle composition, trate, although the retentivity in the nitrate ester the use of which is contemplated by my invention,

is app y greater than in the acetate esterimproves the flexibility of films containing known 4 ho these materials ShOW an appreciable plasticizers without imparting the untoward soft- DIaSt-iCiZiHg action by themselves, y do not ening effect that results from the use of present velop a softness of film characteristic of plastid 1 ti s far as I am aware, this c cizers of the phtha-late est an phosphate ester acteristic is peculiar to the compounds described type, and it is desirable under some circumstances, herein 50 where flexibility is required, to utilize the same Although the principles of the invention may with liquid plasticizers such as tricresyl phosbe applied in widely varied forms and embodiphate, dibutyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate, 0r ments, as is well understood by those skilled in the glycolyl phthalate ester type plasticizers. the plastic arts, the following examples illustrate It is to be understood that the compounds of specific embodiments: 5

Example I.Cellu1ose nitrate, which is dissolved in a suitable low boiling solvent or blend of solvents, is mixed with 20%-80% by weight of the dry cotton, of N-cyclohexyl paratoluenesulfonamide (melting point 86 C.-87 C.). The resulting mixture is applied to a smooth surface and the low boiling solvent is permitted to volatilize slowly. A film so produced will be found to have inordinate water resistance and impermeability to moisture, good light stability, and a degree of hardness without being brittle.

Example II.In lieu of the cyclohexyl paratoluenesulfonamide in Example I substitute 10-70 parts of cyclohexyl paratoluenesulfonamide and -10 parts of trioresyl phosphate or butyl glyv colyl butyl phthalate. It is to be understood that synthetic or artificial resins, pigments, as well as other modifying agents, may be added and that the method of manipulating the plastic may be varied in a manner well understood to those skilled in the art.

Example III.A cellulose acetate is dissolved in acetone or a blend of solvents and mixed with 20%-40% (by weight of the dry acetate) of N- cyclohexyl paratoluene sulfonamide (86-87 0.). The resulting mixture is formedinto a film in th usual manner, which film will be found to have excellent clarity and toughness. When as much as of the amide is added the film produced is slightly foggy, this being indicative of a separation of the amide from the acetate. While for practically all purposes considerably less of the amide is necessary, this fogginess can often be reduced by supplementing the amide with an additional known plasticizer, such as dimethyl phthalate, etc. The combination of plasticizers produces a striking phenomena which I have not observed in the case of other plasticizers, namely, the mutual improvement. In other words, the resulting film has properties that cannot be accounted for by either one of the materials alone. This is true, when the total quantity of plasticizer is large, as well as small.

What I claim is:

1. A composition of matter, a cellulose ester, containing as a plasticizer for said cellulose ester a mono N-cyclohexyl aromatic sulfonamide in which the aromatic nucleus is of the benzene series.

2. A composition as defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that the aromatic sulfonamide is one of the group consisting of: benzene sulfonamide; toluene sulfonamide; 3,4 dichlorobenzene sulfonamide.

3. The composition as defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that the cellulose ester is one of the group consisting of: cellulose acetate and cellulose nitrate.

LUCAS P. KYRIDES. 

